T. Pat at the Tea Party

Dear Editor: A bit unusual it is for newspaper executives to stretch their legs and often ample waist-lines in anti-government protest marches. But there was T. Pat Cavanaugh in that Washington "Tea Party" a week ago Saturday parading down Pennsylvania Avenue with the Georgia delegation.

T. Pat, if you didn't know, is the general manager of The Covington News, the local branch of Savannah-based Morris Multimedia, the print outlets which are noted for a strong list to starboard.

He told readers of his column, viewpoint or whatever that "proud tears welled up as I rubbed shoulders with people who give credit to God for his many blessings on this country; I felt the collective outrage directed at politicians who would take us down the road of socialism."

"There were blacks and Hispanics," he wrote, neglecting to say they were all but buried among the white crowd. And he described the protesters as courteous, waving American and state flags and "homemade signs of every kind."

Maybe T. Pat's tears blinded him to some of the signs that others saw and reported: "The Zoo has an African and the White House has a Lyin' African"; "Bury Obamacare with Kennedy"; "We came unarmed (this time)" and "‘Cap' Congress and ‘Trade' Obama back to Kenya."

My, my, and that's not all. T. Pat was back last Friday with an unsigned editorial attacking the only Georgian ever to reach the Oval Office as "Carter and his ilk" for taking exception to those who resent the presence of a black in that exalted position. Told Jimmy to stay home and eat his peanuts.

None of this is to say that all Tea Party protesters or Obama critics across the land are racists, not at all. But to imply that none of the assorted wingers, neonuts and whackoes among them are guilty of same is, at best, to stretch the truth.